In 1987, Volkswagen called upon Michelin to equip its formidable, 652hp twin-engined Golf Pikes Peak. Close to the summit, victory was within sight when just two corners from the finish line, the car’s suspension buckled... Some years later, it was with a stage victory on the 2004 Dakar Rally that Volkswagen and the Michelin Group celebrated their first official sporting partnership.

Some years later, it was with a stage victory on the 2004 Dakar Rally that Volkswagen and the Michelin Group celebrated their first official sporting partnership.

The following year, the VW Race Touareg triumphed in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, thereby securing the very first world championship title in motorsport for diesel technology.

Volkswagen and Michelin went on to win three consecutive Dakar Rallies in South America, including a brace of historic podium lock-outs in 2010 and 2011.

Off the back of that success, and still with Michelin’s support, Volkswagen declared itself ready to take on the challenge of the FIA World Rally Championship with its VW Polo R WRC, and the partnership marked its WRC debut by winning the opening stage of its very first event – Rallye Monte-Carlo in 2013.

During the past three WRC seasons, Volkswagen and Michelin have claimed 32 victories from 37 rallies – an impressive 86% strike rate – and three Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ world championship crowns.

Over a period of just ten years, Volkswagen and the Michelin Group have established an enviable success record in Cross-Country Rallies and the FIA World Rally Championship.